Millar’s TA-210L long neck soprano ukulele follows on from a number of different models this small Taiwanese family company has produced. There’s spruce ones, mango ones, mahogany ones, cedar ones and cypress ones… so when I heard they’d done an acacia one too I was in two minds. On the one hand, all the others have been great and clearly they’ve got the format right. On the other hand? Well… another one? Really? However, I am glad I went for it is it’s a) lovely and b) offers a different character to many of the existing range.

This is an all solid acacia model, with a 35mm nut width on it’s concert length neck, with a soprano size body, geared tuners, a rosewood fingerboard and bone nut and saddle. It’s fitted with Worth Clear strings. And while it has some things in common with other Millars, like the explosive volume that has no right coming out of a uke so small, there’s differences too. Acacia is generally a little more mellow in sound and there’s a distict woodiness, an earthiness to the tone - but still adept at some harplike tones from its nylon strings. It’s lovely and clear when picked, and versatile when strummed - with a more timbre when you use your thumb, and a folky crispness when you dig in with your fingernail.

It’s a strange thing when you’re a ukulele retailer dealing with a company like Millar, whose small workshop can only produce a limited amount of instruments. On the one hand you want more of all the lovely models you’ve seen, demonstrated and know people want. With your business brain you just want more of those. And for them too - it makes sense to make what they know sells well. But there’s an enthusiasm at Millar and a desire to keep making new and wonderful things - almost as if to test out what they can do. They’re at full production and can’t make any more ukes than they do already. But still decide to do new things because that’s what they enjoy. And on balance, I’m glad they do too as this is another excellent offering from Millar!

For common extras, like low G fitting and strap buttons, scroll to the bottom of the page for these add-ons.